D&D 5E What Single Thing Would You Add

[Reynard]

As a companion to the other thread: What would you add to 5E. Difficulty: it can only be one thing.

Mine: an effects based magic system. You can keep all the magic "flavor" but I would add a system not unlike Hero or M&M where you build spells based on effects and variables and the end result point cost determines the spell level. So fireball is fire damage, ranged, area of effect, increased damage -- or some such.

 

[el-remmen]

A balanced low-magic option.

 

[billd91]

Morale values for monsters

 

[Faolyn]

Useful, non-magical rangers.

 

[RobJN]

The classic settings to the DM's Guild

 

[jmartkdr2]

Dedicated spell list for Eldritch Knights. Or make a swordmage class. So long as a spell list with sword-and-spell in mind exists.

 

[Sacrosanct]

An animist class (I am no longer using the term "shaman" for several reasons).

 

[el-remmen]

An animist class (I am no longer using the term "shaman" for several reasons).

I've been feeling cringey about using "shaman" and "witchdoctor" for a while - not sure about animist, but good to know other folks are looking for different terminology that does not lean on problematic cultural assumptions.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

4E monster design.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

One thing I would add (and really, it's a host of things), is a modular layer up of simplified BECMI-style classes like dwarf, rogue, fighter, tiefling, no subclasses.